This is interesting - special thanks for Ron Reinas at the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority for forwarding this U.S. News and World Report article from 1956 regarding the Peace Bridge.
Please note, that while this article speaks of "a border that is one of the freest in the world" and where "industry in border cities, particularly inter-dependent with industrial activity on the other side, is growing rapidly," that the piece was written a decade after World War II ended and in the heat of the Cold War. The article reports that the flow of goods back and forth "has reached a volume of $6 billion per year." For perspective, we now do over $75 billion per year at Buffalo Niagara's crossings alone!
Certainly, the U.S. faces different enemies today, and the threats are of a different nature. But the border described in this article from 1956 should be our goal - to promote the free-flow of goods and people between the world's two largest trading partners. I say "goal," because without moving to a North American perimeter security situation, we'll likely not see the kind of border freedom talked about here. But to balance the importance of trade and commerce with the need for strong border security, we need to talk about what worked.
Enjoy the article.
Please note, that while this article speaks of "a border that is one of the freest in the world" and where "industry in border cities, particularly inter-dependent with industrial activity on the other side, is growing rapidly," that the piece was written a decade after World War II ended and in the heat of the Cold War. The article reports that the flow of goods back and forth "has reached a volume of $6 billion per year." For perspective, we now do over $75 billion per year at Buffalo Niagara's crossings alone!
Certainly, the U.S. faces different enemies today, and the threats are of a different nature. But the border described in this article from 1956 should be our goal - to promote the free-flow of goods and people between the world's two largest trading partners. I say "goal," because without moving to a North American perimeter security situation, we'll likely not see the kind of border freedom talked about here. But to balance the importance of trade and commerce with the need for strong border security, we need to talk about what worked.
Enjoy the article.
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